The Season of Love – EPILOGUE
by Merlucaforever
Summary: Meredith and Andrew: Six years after the beginning of their relationship, they are still living in The Season of Love, a season that seems set to last forever. (This is the EPILOGUE of The Season of Love and it will have only two chapters. You can read it without having read the main story, but I invite you to do so anyway if you haven't already done so).
1. Part one

**The Season of Love**** – EPILOGUE**

**Merlucaforever**

_**All rights reserved to Shonda Rhimes**_

_**Notes**__: __Hey Guys! I finally had time to translate the EPILOGUE of The Season of Love. The French version has been posted since September 30th, but I was too busy with other fics, sorry for the delay. _

_I know Merluca is going through a difficult time but this happy ending that I had imagined for them since September can still happen. Everyone who has read my last fic "The Power of Love" will surely agree with me. _

_I apologize for the mistakes. I'm not a native speaker._

_Happy reading!_

**Part one**

– "_Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. We are now crossing through a zone of turbulence, please return to your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you". _

At the captain's announcement, Andrew turned his head slightly to one side to look at Meredith sitting next to him. She had been sleeping peacefully for at least half an hour; her head was resting on his shoulder. The light turbulence hadn't woken her up. She hadn't been afraid of flying for quite some time. She didn't need to squeeze his hand anymore, as if she was going to crush it each time the plane made a sudden movement, thank God.

They were comfortably settled in first class on a flight to Boston where they were on their way to attend the prestigious Award Ceremony of the Catherine Fox Foundation, formerly known as the Harper Avery Foundation. She had no doubt that, upon their return home, there would be a new trophy on the living room shelf next to the three others which were already there, although this year the nominees all had the winning profile. That's Meredith all over! She wasn't nervous at all.

He smiled when he saw her so serene. He couldn't help but move aside a strand of hair which hid her face and put a light kiss on her forehead.

– "Is that your wife?".

Andrew turned to face the passenger sitting on the other side of the aisle to look at her. She was a very likable octogenarian.

– "Pardon?", Andrew asked.

– "Is that your wife?", she repeated in a hushed voice.

Andrew cast a glance at Meredith asleep in his arms before answering the old lady, a blissful smile on his lips:

– "Yes, she's my wife".

– "You're eventually going to wake her up, you know", she said.

– "Excuse me?".

– "You've kissed her at least 20 times. Let her sleep".

Andrew smiled at the old lady and whispered:

– "You're right".

– "So, it's your honeymoon?"

– "No ma'am. We have already celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary".

She nodded and smiled at him before turning to her husband sitting next to her. Andrew heard her say in Italian – she obviously assumed that he wouldn't understand:

– "_This boy is madly in love with his __beautiful__ wife. __He keeps kissing her in her sleep"._

– "_Oh! I can tell you that he will never stop if she is at least half as beautiful as you", her husband replied. _

– "_In any case, just by watching her sleep, I think she must be at least as happy as I am to have a husband who loves her so much"._

Andrew looked at them as they were kissing tenderly on the lips and smiling at each other. In their old age, he and Meredith will be just like that couple. He had no doubt that their love would withstand the test of time by growing stronger day by day. They had already had six years full of happiness.

Wow! They had been married for five years and had been living their greatest love for more than six years now! His heart was overflowing with love and joy while he looked at her. He had been reprimanded by an old lady for kissing his wife too much! He already imagined Meredith's laughter when he would tell her so. But it's true that he couldn't stop kissing her. From the beginning, he already knew he wouldn't be able to stop kissing her. Yes, he had always known that.

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It all began with that drunk kiss at Alex's wedding. Indeed, that night, slightly drunk, he had the nerve kissing this beautiful and brilliant surgeon who were wearing a gorgeous blue dress. And he had thought that it never would happen again because she was his boss and his teacher. But it turned out that it was all he had been able to think about back then. So, even though he was scared of being put in his place, he plucked up the courage to tell her how he felt for her a few weeks later in the imaging room.

But surprisingly, that kiss had troubled her too – he had found that out the same day in the elevator where they had been stuck during the storm. To this day, he still wondered how he had managed not to kiss her in this narrowed space though he was so overwhelmed by her perfume, her voice, her laugh, her gaze… All he wanted at that very moment was to be able to kiss her again and again without ever stopping. But she wasn't ready for that and was relieved to be able to run away when the elevator doors opened. Then began their little game of seduction which she seemed to get to like despite her dread of commitment.

How patient he had to be so as not to give up fighting for her! Whenever he thought they had taken a step forward, she found a way to move apart from him. He will never forget that Valentine's Day night when he had risked it all by taking her up to the rooftop to finally kiss her under the stars. Their first _real _kiss was sublime! That night, he knew that what he felt for her was stronger than anything he had ever felt for anyone else. He knew she was truly unique and that he wouldn't let her go away for anything in the world. He soon realized though that he would have to be even more patient than he had been before because the slightest thing could scare her off. So, he let her choose her own pace. And after that first kiss there were many other "first times", some more sublime than the others.

He couldn't help but remember all those "first times" that flashed through his mind like film run at high speed:

Their first magical rendezvous at Lake Union when he got lost in her eyes all night long. Their first public appearance as a couple at the party at Jackson's when they almost set the penthouse on fire after having been caught making out by Webber – it was still their little secret so far. The first time they had made love passionately at his place after the dinner that he had made her to make up for his first foolishness which was followed by their first morning when they had woken up in each other's arms and by their first shower together. His first night at her house when he had been caught sneaking out by Zola before the first official introduction to her children who have now become his own. What surprises she'd had in store for him!

The first time he told her "I love you", which was enough to scare her off. The first time she told him "I love you" in the worst circumstances that neither of them could have imagined but that they had been able to go through thanks to their love. It was a tragedy that had brought them even closer. This was the first real turning point in their relationship, and it didn't take long for him to move in with her. That night, he had slept for the first time in "their bed". Wow! What a night! She had performed for him the most erotic dance he had ever seen in that famous blue dress which she wore to Alex's wedding!

– "Someone once advised me to pursue a career as a stripper if by any chance I couldn't practice medicine anymore", she said, naughtily.

– "Wow, _cara_, do you know how many times I've dreamed of taking off that dress from you?".

– "Certainly not as much as I've dreamed of it, my love".

And of course, the next day, she made for the first time the breakfast which he tried to eat although everything was burnt, much to the amusement of Maggie and Amelia. He then found a way to give her, a few weeks later, her first cooking lesson which ended with their laughter and their moans of pleasure on the kitchen counter. It was the first time they were alone in the house for the night. That night, they also satisfied for the first time their fantasy of making love on the couch. It was great to have the house to themselves and to make love everywhere, but the next day, they already missed the kids.

He and the kids had somehow gotten along quite quickly. Ellis liked throwing herself into his arms in the early days and always asked for stories before going to bed, but with the older ones it took picnics to the parks, movie nights, dinners with homemade pizza and ice cream. He remembered the first time he became Bailey's confidant because they were the only guys in the house and also the first science project that he helped Zola do – how happy and proud she was when he went to the school with her for the presentation! And when she won the prize, he saw her running toward him and Meredith who were seating in the front row and was pleasantly surprised when she had thrown herself into his arms.

Day by day the children came closer to him. There was the first Christmas with the family, the unwrapping of the gifts, the first birthdays of the children where he was present. But there were also other celebrations.

The day they celebrated his first day as an attending in their bed – he was wearing his navy-blue scrub – with only peanut butter sandwiches and beer, making love again and again. The first time she agreed to get on the back of his motorcycle because it was his birthday – he remembered how she shrieked each time the motorcycle leaned into turns. And of course, there was their first holiday in Italy for Valentine's Day to celebrate their first anniversary. That was when he proposed to her. That had scared the hell out of her because she thought it was too soon.

What a way to round off their first year! She had left him in the restaurant of this beautiful palace in Rome with his ring and the group that was performing a romantic serenade and he had felt so wretched. Not seeing her go back to their five-star suite that night, he thought he had ruined his chances of being with her and blamed himself for rushing into things like that – as usual. But they were so happy together and they loved each other so much that he did not see why they should wait to get married. But it must also be said that, deep down, he was always afraid of losing her.

Unable to sleep, he had gone for a walk on the beach and that was where he ran into her. She was from behind, but she felt his presence and slowly turned around to look at him in the moonlight. He didn't know how long they had been staring at each other – an eternity, it seemed to him. Then she smiled at him and his heart started to pound in his chest as in the first day. She took a hesitant first step in his direction and then another one and she began to walk slowly toward him. Then she ran across the last distance between them to throw herself into his arms, which he opened wide to welcome her. Her face buried in his neck, he heard her say in a hushed voice: "_Yes"_. He had thought he was dreaming. He pulled apart slightly to look at her.

– "Mer you... ?".

– "Yes, Andrew, yes. I want to marry you".

– "_Cara_, are you sure? You're not going to run away and leave me at the altar?", he said half-jokingly, his apprehension showing through his voice.

– "I am sure, my love. I love you. Andrew... I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, for better or for worse".

– "_Cara_, I...".

– "Shh! Shh! Let me finish. I know we have already experienced the worst and I know that I can count on you to help us get through any kind of ordeal and emerge greater. Am I scared? Oh yes! Because I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. No one. I'm afraid of losing you every day. And if I were to run away at the altar, promise me you would run after me, promise me you would catch me. And promise me you would never let me run away again because I don't want to live without you. No, I should rather say that... I can't live without you. I could never live without you".

And he promised it to her. And he sealed that promise with a kiss that lasted until desire overwhelmed them. They made love on the beach and that night the miracle of love occurred. They found out about it a few weeks later while they were in the midst of their wedding planning. Their wedding ceremony was to be held at Easter, around mid-April. He had suggested to her to extend the period of their engagement by at least a year so that she wouldn't freak out too much, but she had refused.

It was a Friday morning, 2 weeks before the wedding. She had been awake for barely two minutes and he was stirring in his sleep, blinking a few times before waking up in turn just as she rushed into the bathroom. He heard her vomit and ran to join her. He found her hunkered down in front of the toilet. He reached out to help her get up and she rinsed out her mouth in the sink.

– "_Cara_, are you okay?".

– "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that we've spent the week running here and there to our appointments and... I've tasted too much stuff yesterday at the caterer's tasting".

– "Tasting, it's an understatement Mer. You have greedily eaten up everything she made us taste. And you did the same thing the other day with the cakes. Are you sure you're okay?

– "I just told you I'm fine. Why are you insisting?".

– "Mer...", he said with a smile.

– "Andrew, don't!", she said, as she passed him to head back to the bedroom.

But his smile got bigger and bigger and he followed her while saying in a drawling voice:

– "I think you know what's going on!".

– "Andrew, stop it!".

– "_Cara_, you... you're not happy?", he asked, seeing her refusal to consider for a single second that it was not just a simple indigestion.

– "Andrew, I have a very hostile uterus and I'm not 30 anymore. So, I don't want to get carried away and I don't want you to get carried away least of all because I know it would be very hard if it were just a false hope".

– "Mer, do you think the happiness I have with you is dependent on the children we might or might not have together? Do you really think I miss it when I already have three beautiful kids that I adore? But at the same time do you think I might not want to have a child with you if such a miracle happened?".

– "No Andrew, no, that's not what I meant. I just don't want to talk about it until I'm sure of it".

But Meredith took the pregnancy test as soon as she arrived at the hospital and it was on the rooftop that she asked him to meet her to tell him the results. When she showed him the three tests that had turned blue and the results of the blood test she had also done, he lifted her up and made her twirl slightly before putting a lot of kisses on her lips while laughing. He then pulled apart to take a bucket that he had been careful to hide. He had brought sparkling water by way of champagne and plastic cups so that they could toast the arrival of a new member in their family. They had no idea that there would actually be two new members in the family. Indeed, during the first ultrasound, Carina told them that they were having... twins! Identical twins!

The children had jumped for joy on being told the news which then spread like wildfire at the wedding because Cristina Yang - who of course was the first to know about it - could not help but spill the beans about Meredith being pregnant. It was the first time he had met her and the least that can be said is that she had an unusual personality. Cristina had a really disconcerting sense of humor at times and he had trouble knowing when to laugh or not. He had been afraid he had failed the test she seemed to have given him, but Meredith had assured him otherwise.

It was a very intimate ceremony and he was happy that his father was able to attend it. He and Meredith had visited him when they were in Rome and they had invited him to the wedding. He had somehow made his peace with him, but it was still a complete surprise to see him; even Carina wasn't aware of his coming.

– "Dad, I'm glad you could make it".

– "I would never have missed my son's wedding. And what a joy to find out that I'm going to be a grandfather! Twin grandsons, wow! You don't do things by halves, do you? Congratulations my son, I'm really proud of you".

He had laughed and hugged his father, more moved than he wanted to admit, especially since he missed his mother terribly. Fortunately, several other members of his family – including some of his many cousins – were also present.

He and Meredith had solemnly exchanged their vows in front of their loved ones. These were simple, traditional vows that perfectly expressed the depth of their love and the sincerity of their commitment. In turns, they repeated after the wedding officiant, looking lovingly at each other:_ "__I promise to love you and cherish you __unconditionally__ through__ whatever the future holds for us__;__ to be faithful and devoted to you and take care of you till death do us part"._

And he had leaned over to kiss his wife for the first time...

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Meredith started to move slightly in her sleep, which brought Andrew back to reality. He looked at her and wondered what he had done to deserve her. Their life with their five adorable children was such a joy! He would never forget that day when she became _Mrs. Deluca_, as he liked to call her when they made love.

She finally woke up completely a few minutes later and smiled at him.

– "Hey you", Andrew said.

– "Hey! How long have I slept?"

– "At least two hours, I would say".

– "Are we going to land soon?"

– "In three quarter of an hour, I think. You want something to drink?"

– "Okay".

He then called the air hostess who hastened to serve them.

– "And you, did you nap?".

Andrew shook his head and she said to him:

– "My love, this flight is over five hours long, you should have taken a nap!".

– "It was very nice to watch you sleep. I'm not as relaxed as you are. I wonder what makes you so relaxed?".

– "It's a kind of hunch. I know it's in the bag because Zola told me so".

And as he looked at her questioningly, she replied:

– "When I was nominated for the Harper Avery after Megan Hunt's surgery, she had told me it was in the bag and she was right".

He put a light kiss on her sweet, tempting lips and said:

– "You're right, it's in the bag. I'm sure of that!".

The air hostess brought them their glasses of sparkling water and Meredith said:

– "Let's toast to victory!".

They drank a toast to victory, kissed for a long time before settling themselves comfortably in their seats.

_**To be continued…**_

**Notes:** Thanks for reading. Your reviews will be very much appreciated.

See you soon!


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

_**Notes**__:__ Here's the second part of the epilogue, I hope you will enjoy it._

Cuddled up comfortably against her husband on the plane that was taking them to Boston, Meredith remembered their last toast with sparkling water. It was on the rooftop of _Grey Sloan_, the day they had found out that they were having the twins, Karim and Matteo – whom they all called Matty. It had reminded her of her patient Natasha when her fiancé had brought her some sparkling water to toast the New Year because her condition didn't allow her to drink champagne. Andrew had had the same gentleness as Gareth.

It wasn't the first time she thought about Natasha and her words when she had told her to kiss the one who turned back time for her. At the time, she was terrified of loving someone again and letting herself be loved but she had reckoned without Andrew's determination to fight for her. He told her once that when you meet someone who makes you happy it was worth fighting for them. She had fallen in love with him without even realizing it.

And he had continued to fight for her and had sustained her throughout the ordeal of her trial for the insurance fraud she had committed. It nearly cost them both their careers and their relationship had really been put in the wringer back then. She would never have been able to overcome that if he hadn't been there for her. He knew how to make her laugh even in the worst of times. He made her stronger, more serene. She was no longer the Meredith who used to wait for the next shoe to drop. She was a happy and fulfilled woman always ready to cope. They had managed to raise a small tribe together and they were all very happy.

Her pregnancy had been the most beautiful surprises ever but, on the other hand, she thought that it wasn't surprising that she missed her birth control pills during these idyllic holidays after having said "yes" to this Roman god on that beach in Rome. He had always treated her as if she were the most precious thing in the world, but during her pregnancy, she seemed to have become the most fragile thing in the world.

She remembered their honeymoon in Paris; she was about eight weeks pregnant. Everything had been planned before she even discovered she was pregnant, so they had decided not to cancel their reservations. She was a bit tired because of the long journey by plane – in addition to the jet lag – so she spent the first day resting in their room. But, at the end of the day, with all her hormones raging, Andrew ended up driving her up the wall.

– "Andrew, I'm not made of porcelain. You are a doctor, you must know that I'm not going to smash into pieces if you touch me. So, are we going to have sex for God's sake? It's our honeymoon!".

– "_Cara, _I assure you that even if you're not made of porcelain, I might smash you into pieces if I touch you. I want you too much, I do not know if I'll be able to master my ardor. You are tired and...".

– "Exactly! Don't make things worse by pacing around the room shirtless and in shorts".

– "Then you must know exactly how I feel by looking at you in this see-through negligee all day long!", he said, as he walked toward her, his eyes shining with desire.

– "In this case, you just have to take it off", she replied naughtily.

– "This is the best idea I've ever heard", he said.

And it was an unforgettable honeymoon! It wasn't her first pregnancy, but it was the first time she had such a craving for the thing. Maybe everything was double with twins.

Andrew was the most caring and patient father that she had ever known, not only with the twins but also with their elder siblings. His prediction that her own children might love him more than they love her came true sooner than she would have thought, but she felt no jealousy about it. She knew better than anyone how easy it was to love him. He was tireless and managed to be always there when the children needed him despite his hectic schedule at the hospital. He and the kids laughed and played joyfully together all the time and had so much fun! In those moments, you would easily think that he was no older than them.

He had just been appointed attending in the pediatric surgery department when she became pregnant and was in a period of his career that required him to prove himself as a good surgeon. Nevertheless, he stoically put up with his pregnant wife's bad moods and whims. Between her cravings in the dead of the night – even when it was raining – her tears and her sudden mood swings, Meredith was aware that she had put him through hell. No doubt, this man really had to be crazy in love with her!

It must be said, in her defense, that carrying twins when you are over 40 years old wasn't a pleasure cruise. Whenever she heard him gloat over the fact that they were going to have twins, she couldn't help glaring at him. It goes without saying that he wasn't the one carrying them! Toward the end of her pregnancy she had been confined to bed. Whenever he helped her drag herself out of bed and into the bathroom to pee – every ten minutes it seemed to her – she said to him:

– "Oh, I hate you Andrew Deluca!".

He would always laugh and say:

– "I love you too, _cara_".

And he made up for it by massaging her. He caressed her enormous belly and talked to his sons all the time. Oddly enough, when they were moving restlessly, he had the knack for calming them by playing the guitar and singing for them. And with all that he still found the time to take care of the other three kids, make their dinner and help them with their homework. Not to mention the renovation and the extension of the house for the arrival of the twins that he was supervising very closely.

One night he came home very happy and said:

– "Guess what, _mia cara_?_"_.

– "What?".

– "I sold my bike!".

– "What? You sold your motorcycle?".

– "Uh, yes! What do you think?".

By way of answer, she had started sobbing like a little girl, repeating several times between her sobs:

– "You sold your motorcycle... Oh, you sold your motorcycle…!".

Disconcerted, Andrew had a hard time stopping her sobs. He knew it was her hormones and that she was glad he had finally gotten rid of this continual source of anxiety for her; however, he seemed truly overwhelmed by her tears.

– "_C__ara,_ I thought it might be a bit tricky to install car seats and strollers in the back of a motorcycle", he said to try to make her laugh.

And he had managed to make her laugh through her tears.

– "I love you", she told him.

– "I love you", he replied.

The twins were expected to be born in early November, but they arrived three weeks ahead of the due date. Fortunately, there had been no drama this time for her delivery. Carina had taken matters into her own hands and everything went well. She had not failed to make fun of her brother who was the most nervous father she had ever met in a delivery room. It looked like he had forgotten what he had learned in medical school and Carina and Meredith had to explain everything to him, every step of the way, to reassure him. Meredith would never forget the happiness she had seen in his eyes when he held his sons for the first time. He had looked at her and whispered: "_Gracie, mia cara_"_._

The beginnings were very hard but once again Andrew had been nothing but perfect to handle the new routine – feeding, soothing and changing the babies. Whenever it was her turn to get up at night, Andrew would tell her:

– "I'll get that. Go back to sleep _mia cara_".

Moreover, Carina, who was the godmother of Karim – whose name she had chosen by the way – was very involved in their lives and she really wasn't _de trop_ even with Maggy and Matteo's godmother – Amelia – who were always there when they needed a helping hand with the kids.

Grandpa Deluca had come from Italy to attend their christening ceremony which was held during the Thanksgiving holidays. It was when he saw his grandsons that he had decided to seek treatment. Unfortunately, a few months after starting his treatment, he died of a ruptured aneurysm. His death had completely devastated Andrew who regularly spoke to him on the phone and knew he wanted to resume his research on the external gestational sac since he had started to get better. But he hadn't had the time. Knowing that Andrew had always refused to accept his money, he had left, in his will, his entire fortune to his daughter and grandchildren.

Karim et Matty were going to be 5 years old now and they were the spitting image of their father. They had inherited his thick black hair, his beautiful eyes and his devastating smile. They were the nicest, the sweetest and the most easygoing kids she had ever seen. Needless to say, they also took that after their father. She must also recognize that Zola, Bailey and Ellis were the most caring and loving siblings that the twins could ever have. Meredith thought to herself that they were a truly happy family...

The aircraft had just landed and were taxing to the gate, but Andrew had finally fallen asleep about 20 minutes ago and she wished she didn't have to wake him up. She looked at him smiling, admiring his perfect features and wondering how it was possible to be so handsome. When the plane came to a standstill, she leaned over and whispered in his ear:

– "My love... wake up!".

Andrew blinked a few times before opening his eyes lazily. She couldn't help gazing at him with a loving look in her eyes. He looked so much like Karim and Matty, she thought to herself, because she always had trouble rousing them from the sleep in the morning!

– "Oh no, we've already landed!", Andrew complained.

– "We've finally arrived, you mean! Come on, get up!", she told him gently as she put a tender kiss on his lips.

She caught a nice old couple looking at them and smiling at them. Seeing Andrew smiling back at them, she asked him:

– "Do you know them?".

– "No, but I feel like I do".

Seeing Meredith's perplexed expression, he replied, staring at her with his intense gaze:

– "That's us, when we will have celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary".

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They had just arrived at a sumptuous Hotel in Boston, where the prestigious Catherine Fox Foundation Award Ceremony, formerly known as the Harper Avery Foundation, was to take place.

As soon as they got off the taxi, he held her hand to get to the hotel reception. Meredith noticed that the receptionist seemed a bit nervous and stammered in front of him and was amused because so did the air hostesses on the plane. After all this time, she had finally gotten used to seeing how women got flirty in front of her husband without him even noticing. He was so good-looking and sexy; how could she blame them?

He hadn't let go of her hand neither in the elevator nor in the long corridor leading to their room where the bellhop had just let them in.

– "Mr. and Mrs. Deluca, here is your key. Have a nice stay!".

Andrew exchanged a knowing smile with her as he took out his wallet of his pocket to give a generous tip to the bellhop. When the latter had left, Andrew approached her to embrace her.

– "Hmm! It's not every day that I hear people calling you Mrs. Deluca. In any case, not in Seattle where everyone knows the famous Dr. Meredith Grey".

Meredith put her arms around his neck and looked up at him.

– "That's why I like when we escape from Seattle. I love when I am just Mrs. Deluca, without my big job, without our five kids. What a shame that you want us to get back home tomorrow!".

– "You know that I've postponed several surgeries until Monday".

– "I know my love, I did the same. I was just saying that it was a shame that we couldn't extend our stay by a day. Did you see how big the bed is? That reminds me of our last anniversary in Hawaii".

– "But the ceremony isn't for at least three hours, you know. We have plenty of time to enjoy this big bed".

Andrew pulled her against him and cupped her face in his hands to kiss her. Desire immediately gripped their bodies because time had only fueled their passion for each other. Meredith's body has never stop to blow his mind since their first night together. He knew every patch of it, every beauty mark. He had the knack for making her lose control just by kissing her. They helped each other to get rid of their clothes quickly and found themselves in no time on the bed where they made love passionately.

They remained in each other's arms to enjoy the happiness of being together for a moment. Andrew didn't take long to fall asleep and Meredith took the opportunity to go to the balcony to call home and check on the kids. She spoke with each of them in turn and they were all looking forward to watching the award ceremony which would be broadcast live on TV. She also called Helm, now attending in her department, because she wanted to be in the picture about her patients' condition so that she could give her some instructions if needed. Then she finally decided to take a shower.

Discovering a huge Jacuzzi in their spacious bathroom, she preferred to run herself a bath. She had been luxuriating in her bath for a while, with her eyes closed, when she felt Andrew, buck naked, slip slightly behind her and embrace her with his muscular arms. Straight away, his lips were kissing the back of her bare neck and his hands were stroking her breasts causing her nipples to harden immediately.

She turned her head a little to kiss him. She felt his tongue playing with hers and moaned with pleasure. She wanted him. He wanted her. He lifted her up slightly to make her sit on him. And the world around them ceased to exist. They were alone in their own bubble, in their _Tardis_, which took them on a wonderful journey through the stars, to the seventh heaven.

Meredith and Andrew were very late for the awards ceremony and wanted to sneak into the large function room where all the guests were already settled without being noticed. Unfortunately, they were so busy smiling lovingly at each other with a knowing look than they collided with a waiter who almost dropped his tray. But, thanks to Andrew's dexterity, they could avert the worst. Chuckling, they sat down at their table, which they spotted easily because Alex, Maggie, Amelia and Carina were already sitting there. All four of them had wanted to be there, although they couldn't find any available seat on the same flight that the foundation had booked for Meredith and Andrew.

– "Where on earth have you been? Your flight landed two hours ahead of ours. They are already at the end of the presentation of the last nominee's research. You have missed everything!", Maggie said to them in a disapproving tone.

– "They were probably doing what they can't help doing all the time and everywhere", Alex muttered, rolling his eyes.

– "You'd better watch out Meredith, my brother always hits the bull's-eye. You might end up with twin girls this time", Carina warned them, mockingly.

– "Great! Two nieces with their father's black hair and their mother's blue eyes! Yeah, I'm so excited!", added Amelia.

The guests next to them – eminent white-haired medical researchers - who were annoyed by their whispers, have been casting disapproving glances at them.

– "Are you going to stop! That's not what you think. We were not…", Meredith said in a very explicit tone.

But she didn't convince anyone of her innocence because Andrew's face was like an open book. "_Will he ever learn to avoid being found out!_", she told to herself.

They finally stopped whispering when they saw Catherine Fox, who was seated a few meters ahead of them with Richard Webber, go up on stage holding the envelope containing the winner's name. Meredith held Andrew's hand and she squeezed it, without even realizing it, all the way through Catherine's little speech who concluded:

– "I am pleased to have the privilege to announce the name of the winner. The Foundation has bestowed the Catherine Fox Award this year on...".

She opened the envelope and pulled out the card. She ran her eye over it and announced loudly:

– "Dr. Andrew Deluca from the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital!".

The announcement drew thunderous applause from the audience. Andrew looked at all those people at his table who had traveled all the way here to support him. They were smiling at him, congratulating him and applauding him. He particularly appreciated the presence of Alex who had gradually become a friend – like Link and Jo who have been taking care of the kids at home with the help of the babysitter. They were all his family.

Then his eyes met hers. As she was getting teary-eyed, she wanted to hide it from him and said:

– "I told you that it was in the bag!".

He stood up to hold his wife in his arms and kissed her tenderly. Noticing his sister's tears, he hugged her tightly too.

– "Don't mind me, it's the hormones of a pregnant woman. Come on, go ahead! They are waiting for you". And she added in Italian: "_Dad and mom would have been so proud of you!"_.

He then went up on stage and walked toward Catherine, who was also applauding him. She gave him the trophy engraved with his name. He thanked her, sighed deeply, trying to find something to say. He didn't have any speech prepared because he thought that might have brought him bad luck. He was so overwhelmed that words failed him, until he met the eyes of his loved ones in the room.

– "Thank you, thank you…", he said to invite the audience to seat in silence. "I would like to thank the foundation for encouraging innovation in the surgical field. If I'm here tonight it's because my father, Vincenzo Deluca, whose research I continued after he had been taken from us far too soon, had a dream. The dream of saving the very premature babies by making them grow in an external gestation bag. Once you reached that point, there was only one step to understand how to keep babies inside their mother's womb for as long as possible, and I worked on it after my specialization in fetal surgery. _Gracie Papa!_".

He paused a few seconds before continuing:

– "But I would not have been able to make this dream come true without the support of my colleagues, my friends and all my family that I thank profoundly. A special thanks to my sister Carina who I hope will not call me _bambino_ any moreafter tonight (the audience laughed) and also to my five adorable _bambinos _who are certainly all glued to the TV".

Hearing a whisper ran through the room, he said, smiling widely:

– "Yes, you heard me right. I have five of them!", which made the audience break out in laughter. Then, turning to face the camera, he said: "Zola, Bailey, Ellis, Karim, Matty… I love you all enormously!", and he blew them a kiss.

He paused again and said, looking at Meredith.

– "And... to my wife, Meredith Grey, who won this award herself, at whose side I've honed my skills, I want to say thank you. Thank you for the lessons you have taught me especially your sense of dedication to your patients; thank you for encouraging me and for always believing in me. Thank you for this wonderful family you gave me. Thank you for being such an amazing partner. Thank you for everything _mia cara_".

Meredith saw him mouth the words "I love you" and hold his trophy proudly aloft to rapturous applause of the audience. She replied him in the same way, her heart overflowing with love and pride: "I love you".

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Andrew helped Meredith get off the taxi that had just dropped them off in front of their house and went to take care of the baggage himself. Meredith looked up at her childhood home, which has witnessed everything she had experienced so far, and which was full of joy and happiness now. As soon as they entered, they heard the shouts of joy of Zola who rushed toward them. She had become a beautiful 14-year-old girl very tall and slender for her age.

– "Show it to me, show it to me..." she said.

Meredith quickly realized she was talking about the trophy she had hidden behind her back when she saw her coming and handed it to her with a smile.

– "Oh! It's even more magnificent than the others!", Zola said before adding: "Sorry Mom, yours is not bad either".

– "It's okay, you're right Zozo. Catherine Fox never skimps on anything when it comes to the image of her foundation", Meredith replied.

Andrew had just gotten rid of the baggage he was carrying when Zola came to throw herself into his arms to congratulate him. Moved, Andrew smiled and hugged her to thank her. It was then that they heard the footsteps of the rest of the tribe who was upstairs with the babysitter. They all hurtled down the stairs shouting in chorus:

– "Andrew! Mom!".

The twins called him Andrew like their elder siblings. They looked like younger clones of their handsome father just as Ellis was the spitting image of her mother. As for Bailey, although he was only twelve years old, he was almost as tall as Meredith and behaved like a man.

It was a warm reunion marked by their hugs, their babbling and bickering in Italian, a language that the whole family now mastered because everyone had been hell-bent on speaking it fluently – Meredith including – since Andrew had started speaking Italian with the twins. Andrew watched them bicker about who should hold the trophy and unpack the gifts they brought them from Boston. He intercepted the look in Meredith's eye as she stared at him and smiled at him. He then slowly approached her and slid his arms around her waist.

– "So, happy to have won?", she asked him.

– "You know I don't need any award to be happy. You and the kids are all I need. I hit the jackpot when I met you".

– "No, it was me who hit the jackpot. I am the happiest woman in the world since you came into my life. I don't think it's possible to be any happier".

– "Hmm who knows? Maybe... with twin-girls...?".

She laughed heartily, then they remained lost in each other's eyes for a while.

"_He makes me laugh all the time", _she thought, happy.

"_I love when she laughs", _he said to himself.

Andrew leaned over and rested his forehead against hers. Meredith hugged him closer and said:

– "I love you, Andrew Deluca".

He smiled, stroked her nose with his own, and replied:

– "I love you, Meredith Grey".

**THE END!**

_**Notes:**__ Thanks to all of you who have read this fic despite my English which must surely seem very odd to you._

_Also, I wanted to say that like everyone else, I am truly sad about Alex's departure, but I'm consoling myself with the thought that Andrew will have to play an even more important role in Meredith's life._

_I'm not worried about Merluca. They'll be fine, I'm sure. According to the 16x11 synopsis we know Meredith thinks she might miss Andrew and we know the reunion will be more than hot in 16x13 which will air on February 13th, the day before Valentine's Day. _

_Who'd like to see a proposal in Rome on their first anniversary like I do?_

_See you soon!_


End file.
